Ashley Nicole Hardin, 38, of Rockford, Illinois, was found dead behind a business in Roscoe on July 23, 2022. Born April 8, 1984, in Sterling, Illinois, she worked as a receptionist at Mercy Health and was the mother of three. Family remembered her singing voice and her devotion to her children and friends.

On the morning of July 23, Ashley’s son reported her missing after the two smelled gas and went outside. He saw her near a car and she did not return to the house. Later that day, her body was located; she had suffered two gunshot wounds and other injuries. Investigators identified 46-year-old Rayshawn Smith as a suspect. Court documents alleged Smith had planned to pour gasoline on Ashley’s house and set it on fire, that milk jugs containing gasoline were found on the property with at least one poured on the house, and that surveillance footage showed Smith’s vehicle at the scene. Smith was arrested the same morning and charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, and aggravated unlawful restraint.

What information might help clarify the timeline between the gasoline being poured and when Ashley was last seen alive?